The core: Colosseum, Forum and Palatine
The basic ticket for the Colosseum costs €18 and also opens the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, on the same day. It is the basis of any visit to ancient Rome: the Forum was the public square with its temples and basilicas, the Palatine the hill of the imperial palaces. Tickets are named and sell out fast: see our guide to tickets to book.
Ancient centre on foot, often free
Between the Capitoline Hill and the Tiber, three sites are linked by ten minutes' walk and let you see Republican and imperial Rome without an expensive ticket:
- Largo Argentina: four Republican temples and the remains where Caesar was assassinated, visited on walkways (€7 full price, €4 reduced for non-residents). The cats of the shelter add to the charm.
- The Theatre of Marcellus: the two-storey arcaded facade, the model for the Colosseum, can be seen free from the street, with the columns of the Temple of Apollo Sosianus beside it. The interior cannot be visited.
- The Markets of Trajan: the great commercial complex of Trajan's Forum, housed in a museum of the Imperial Forums.
Between the Tiber and the Pantheon: the Mausoleum and the Pantheon
The Pantheon, a temple rebuilt under Hadrian around AD 118-125, is the best-preserved ancient monument in the city: €7 admission. About fifteen minutes' walk away, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the largest known circular tomb of antiquity (about 87 m in diameter), can only be visited by reservation and with a guide. In October 2026 access is suspended for works on the square: check before you come. Close by, the Ara Pacis completes the walk.
To the south: Circus Maximus, Caracalla and the Pyramid of Cestius
The Circus Maximus, a grassy valley between the Palatine and the Aventine, was the largest stadium of ancient Rome. From there, the Baths of Caracalla (€8 in normal times, Tuesday to Sunday) show the scale of the imperial public baths. Near Porta San Paolo, the Pyramid of Cestius is an Egyptian-style tomb of the 1st century BC: a curiosity best seen from outside, with the opening days given on its page.
Beyond the walls: the Appian Way, Ostia, Tivoli
For another half-day, the Appian Way can be walked or cycled between tombs and ancient paving; ancient Ostia (€18) preserves an entire Roman town and is reached by train in roughly half an hour; Hadrian's Villa (€15) is Hadrian's residence, at Tivoli. Each of these three sites needs half a day.
Underground and in the museums
The Domus Aurea, Nero's palace, can be visited from Friday to Sunday by reservation (€26). To see the statues, mosaics and frescoes of ancient Rome, the museum of the Baths of Diocletian and the Capitoline Museums are the two richest stops.
How to organise your visit
| District | Sites | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Colosseum | Colosseum, Forum, Palatine | 1 day, basic ticket €18 |
| Capitoline and Ghetto | Largo Argentina, Theatre of Marcellus, Markets of Trajan | 2 to 3 hours, largely free |
| Centre | Pantheon, Mausoleum of Augustus | €7 for the Pantheon; mausoleum by reservation |
| South | Circus Maximus, Caracalla, Pyramid | 2 to 3 hours |
| Beyond the walls | Appian Way, Ostia, Hadrian's Villa | half a day each |
Prices checked in October 2026.
Our tips
- Group by district: the ancient centre is done on foot; avoid crossing the city between two sites.
- On Monday: the Baths of Caracalla and the Sacred Area of Largo Argentina are closed. Keep that day for the Colosseum, the Forum, the Pantheon and the facade of the Theatre of Marcellus.
- The first Sunday of the month: admission is free at state sites, but so are the crowds.
- In summer: the sites have little shade; aim for the morning and bring water.
To go further
To spread these sites over several days, follow our Rome in 3 days itinerary. To save money, see Rome on a budget and the free things to do in Rome.
